How Korean students see scientists: the images of the scientist

This study investigated five different aspects (mental image, physical image, source of the image, 'scientists around us', and 'my favourite scientist') of Korean students' images of the scientists. The data, quantitative and qualitative, from the responses of a total of 1137 students from three different groups (age 11, 13and 15) were analysed to calculate the relative frequencies of some identified patterns of responses and to make comparisons between different genders and different age groups. Korean students generally showed, but to a slightly lesser extent, some stereotypical images of the scientist which were revealed in previous studies. These were influenced more by affective and ethical personal characteristics of the scientist than by their cognitive and gifted abilities. Some noticeable age-related and gender-related differences were also found and discussed.     

EUROPEAN DISSERTATION SUMMARIES

To alleviate teachers’ reluctance toward practical work, there has been much discussion on teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, teaching materials, and failsafe strategies for practical work. Despite these efforts, practical work is still regarded as a challenging task for many elementary science teachers. To understand the complexity of teachers’ conflicts in practical work, this study examines teachers’ ideas about teaching and learning that influence teachers’ decision‐making and action on teaching practical work. More important than knowing technical–rational aspects of practical work is to understand the internal contradictions that teachers have to resolve within themselves regarding their capabilities and beliefs about science teaching and practical work. Using stories and experiences of 38 third‐year university students in a science method course in Korea, we seek to understand the conflicts and negotiations that they experience as they make decisions regarding practical work throughout their course. Reflective writings and group discussions on their lived experiences and concerns were used to probe participants’ ideas on teaching using practical work. From written and verbal data, themes were saturated in terms of the aspects which could (dis)encourage their practice. Results suggest that there are multifactorial challenges in pre‐service teachers’ understandings and concerns in practical work. Besides time, materials, and curriculum, pedagogical assumptions and values also compositely challenge the minds of teachers. As the pre‐service elementary teachers negotiated within themselves the importance of science in classroom and social levels, the question is raised about their identities as pre‐service elementary teachers to appreciate the balance between science teaching and practical work.     

Global convergence or national variation? Examining national patterns of classroom instructional practices

The world culture framework posits a convergence in the organisation of education across the world. On the other hand, scholars observing teaching practices inside classrooms find significant variation among nations and regions of the world. This study examined the global change patterns of classroom practices at the between- and within-country levels, drawing on teacher reports from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study. Results indicate clear between-country convergence toward more student-centred and conceptual instruction. But a nation’s degree of conformity or resistance to this model was contingent upon other nation-specific factors, including centralised curriculum control or world regional location.